BASEBALL

By MURRAY CHASS

Published: November 9, 1998

NAPLES, Fla., Nov. 8—
Two weeks after the Mike Piazza signing triggered what they expected to be a productive off season, the Mets announced today that Steve Phillips, their general manager, was taking a leave of absence to deal with an allegation of sexual harassment as well as the repercussions of a series of extramarital affairs.

During Phillips's leave, Frank Cashen, who was the team's general manager from 1980 through 1991 and a mentor for Phillips, will serve as the interim general manager. Cashen, who has been a vice president and consultant since he stepped down as general manager, takes over at a particularly difficult time of year for someone who has not been actively involved in baseball operations, when clubs begin to sign free agents and initiate talks about possible trades.

Phillips, 35 years old, was not present on the first day of the annual general managers' meetings here. Instead, he issued a statement regarding a threatened lawsuit against him alleging that he sexually harassed a woman who formerly worked at the Mets' Port St. Lucie, Fla., complex.

Dave Howard, the Mets' senior vice president for business affairs, said that the Mets investigated the allegation and found there was a consensual sexual relationship between Phillips and the woman, but no basis for the allegation of sexual harassment.

''After learning of the threatened allegation,'' Phillips, the father of two young sons, said in the statement, ''I have had numerous conversations with my wife and the ownership of the Mets about this and other consensual sexual relationships I have had during my marriage.''

Phillips said he had begun ''extensive personal counseling.'' Howard said the threat of a lawsuit ''brought to light some personal problems Steve has, and he's addressing them in counseling.''

Cashen, speaking at a news conference at the Ritz-Carlton hotel, said: ''I talked to Steve this morning, and he's going to put some things on paper and I'll talk to him about those. I'm going to try to expand and extend Steve's work rather than put my imprint on this club as being a Frank Cashen-type club.''

The severity of the situation was marked by the presence at the hotel earlier in the day of the Mets' co-owners, Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday. They did not attend the news conference. In the past, the owners have abhorred the kind of behavior Phillips has admitted.

Asked why Phillips was not being fired, in light of the owners' views, Howard said: ''The ownership's position is Steve's behavior, as he has admitted it, is inappropriate and from their standpoint is not acceptable. By the same token, Steve has been very forthcoming in admitting the problem and has immediately sought personal counseling to address the issue and to focus on preserving his family situation.

''Our view is this is an unfounded claim. While it does address personal issues and family issues, it is not disabling because of Steve's remorse and his immediate action to address the problem and get himself in position where he can come back as a full, functioning executive. Our view is Steve, like the rest of us, is human and makes mistakes. He's recognized that and has taken steps to address the problem.''

The allegation against Phillips, Howard said, was brought to the Mets' attention a week and a half ago by the lawyer for the woman, whom Howard declined to identify. The Mets also declined to identify the lawyer.

''We've investigated those allegations,'' said Howard, who also is the club's chief in-house counsel, ''and we are confident there is no basis to the allegations and there are no facts to support any claim for sexual harassment. Steve admits to having had a brief consensual relationship with this woman.''

The Mets, Howard added, have a ''very strong policy prohibiting sexual harassment.'' Although Phillips did not tell the Mets initially about the matter, Howard said, ''Steve was very forthcoming to explain to us the facts of the relationship.'' At the same time, Howard said, Phillips informed the club's owners about the other relationships he had.

In his statement, Phillips said his conversations with his wife, Marni, and the Mets' owners were ''extremely painful,'' adding, ''I apologized for making some incredibly bad judgments, for the deep pain I have caused my family and for the embarrassment I have caused the Mets' organization.''

Howard said the club could not estimate how long Phillips's leave would last. ''It will be as long as Steve feels he needs to address his family and personal matters,'' Howard said. ''We're hopeful that it will be relatively short, but that remains to be seen.''

Howard said that even if a lawsuit was filed, he did not expect that it would have any effect on Phillips's return. In a news release, the Mets said they ''will vigorously defend any lawsuit brought by this former employee.''

Phillips began his baseball career as an infielder in the Mets' minor league system. In 1990 he became the team's administrative assistant for scouting and minor league operations, then became minor league director the next year. The club named him assistant general manager in September 1995, and in July 1997 he was appointed general manager when Joe McIlvaine was dismissed.

He is the third-youngest general manager in the major leagues; only Brian Cashman of the Yankees and Randy Smith of Detroit are younger. He and his wife have two children, Brett, 3, and Ryan, 5.

Cashen, 72 years old, said that becoming interim general manager ''is not something I would have chose to do.'' He said the first he knew of what was happening occurred Saturday morning as he prepared to pay golf.

''I got a call from Fred Wilpon and Nelson Doubleday,'' Cashen said. ''They asked me if I would do an enormous favor for the organization. I said certainly, anything I can do I will do. Then they told me what the favor was and I was crestfallen about Steve. Once I got over that, I thought if I could do something to help him, it could help him with his recovery.''

Cashen said he expected to talk twice a week with Phillips about club matters.

Photos: Mets General Manager Steve Philips said he was receiving ''ex-tensive personal counseling.'' His duties will be assumed by Frank Cashen, the g.m. from 1980 to 1991. (Mary DiBiase Blaich for The New York Times)(pg. D1); Frank Cashen is returning to a job that he left seven years ago. (Ozier Mu-hammad/The New York Times)(pg. D6)